


The Prince's Best Friend

by Glaire_Cordon



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2016-07-02
Packaged: 2018-07-11 12:49:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7052317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Glaire_Cordon/pseuds/Glaire_Cordon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Story inspired from the Gilneas story line in "World of Warcraft".</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Princes and I

### Prologue- 7 years prior

 

        " _Star! Star, wait up!" I stopped and looked back at my best friend, Prince Liam Greymane of Gilneas. When he caught up to me, he looked at me and took my hand. "Star, I don't care that you aren't a Royale. You can still be my friend; my best friend." I smiled but moved his hand out of mine. "Liam, I know, but you'll soon be learning how to be a proper Prince and whatnot. Soon I'll be learning how to harness my warlock powers, and you know that the warlock trainer for this area doesn't come to individual towns. I have to go to him." He was shaking his head before I was finished speaking._

_"I asked my parents to bring our family warlock trainer here, so you can stay here and we don't have to separate." I looked at him surprised. "I'm not letting you out of my sight."_

**Present day**

 

     I ran through the maze, fighting my way through the thorny vines that were trying to wrap themselves around me. "Shadow Bolt! _"_ I threw my hand forward and a bolt of dark fire came spiraling out of my hands, setting the vines ablaze. Rolling under the falling debris, I saw the end of the maze. I jumped over the last of the vines and landed outside the maze. When I looked back, the maze doors closed. I breathed a sigh of relief. 

  The doors would only close if I had completed what my Master had set out for me to do. I moved to the fountain of water on the opposite wall and splashed icy cold water onto my face. The water ran down my face and neck in wonderful trickles, sending chills down my spine. I smiled and moved to the outer chamber of the castle courtyard. I grabbed my bag full of books and hefted it onto my shoulder, letting out a grunt of pain; I felt the muscles of my left shoulder stretch more than what should be normal. I knew I would have to go see the priest about getting my shoulder looked at and maybe fixed. 

     "Starthyst! How did the maze go?" my warlock Master asked me as I approached. "It went very well. I completed it." I smiled at him, watching a look of confusion appear on his face. "I thought that I had made it so you wouldn't get it on the first time. I guess I'll have to try harder next time. You are free to go Star," I bowed to my Master, saying, "May the Light be with you,"

 

\-----

 

 

     "I have no idea how you managed to tear not only your shoulder muscle but also irritated your rotater cuff, Starthyst. This will hurt you know," I nodded and looked over at Liam. He smiled and chuckled, but came over and sat next to me and let me take his hand. "On three then. 1...2...3!" The magic went into my shoulder and I threw my head back in pain, a hiss escaping between my clenched teeth. I clasped Liam's hand tightly, feeling my shoulder muscle and cuff move and stretch, going back to how they were supposed to be. When it was done, Priestess Kidate wrapped my shoulder and put my arm in a sling. "I need you to keep this as immobile as possible for the next four days. I will let your trainer know you are on medical leave. Even though I've healed you, I really just made new muscle grow, so you could easily hurt it again." I nodded and thanked her, promising to bring any kills to her. 

     Liam and I left, my best friend taking my bag from me and putting it on his shoulder. "So many books Star. Why?" "I have to study the warlock history, memorize ten new spells a every month, learn five rituals a month and be able to do both herbalism and apothecary work by the time Autumn comes. I am very busy," he shook his head and smiled. I smiled back and reached for his hand. Liam and I never have dated, even though the kingdom wanted us to be married. At 19, I was of marrying age, but all the available bachelors didn't want to invade on Liam. Liam had been of marrying age since he was 18, and now he was 22.

    He and I had been friends for a very long time. My mother had been the Queen's Lady-in-waiting, and had been there when Liam had been born. When I had been born, the Queen had been there for my mother. And when my father was banished from the Kingdom for treason when I was 7, Liam had been there for me. When I was 12, it was discovered that I was a warlock, where in many areas was something to be frowned upon, I was terrified I would be separated from my best friend. But the Royale family didn't care that I was a warlock; many in the family were of warlock descent, and they had their own family of warlocks that trained them. 

       Since I was basically family, Liam convinced his parents that I would do better being trained individually than be sent to the area trainer, who had anywhere from two to thirty students at a time. 

       We arrived to the throne room, where the King and Queen were standing and talking. When they saw us, they called us over. As we approached, I bowed to the King and Queen. 

       "Starthyst, you don't have to bow to us. You're family!" King Genn said, laughing. I laughed with him. "I know, Your Majesty, but I also know that soon we will be having the annual Fall Equinox Ball and since all the Royales in the area are welcome, I need to get back into the habit." His Majesty laughed and nodded. Liam looked at me and I nodded. I knew he wanted me to be his date, as always. The arrangement worked well for us, but then the King said, "Liam, you Mother and I need to speak with you. Star, you'll excuse us?" I nodded and left, closing the door behind me. I walked to mine and my Mother's quarters. When I got close, I smelled Mother cooking my favorite meal- Potatoes and wolf steak. I ran the rest of the way, startling my Mother when I got home.

     "Star! You gave me a- what happened to your arm?!" As usual, Mother went from scolding to being worried about me. "I messed up my arm Mother. I'll be fine in a few days. The priestess fixed me up, but with what she did I have to keep my arm immobile for a few days."  She nodded and went back to fixing dinner. I used my magic to set the table and poured ice cold milk for us both.

     "Milk for dinner Star?" "What's the occasion?" Milk was a treat for Mother and I, but I felt that tonight warranted it. "I got passed the strongest maze my Master has ever made in one try today, Mother. Now he has to make a new, stronger one. He is determined to create one that I can't get through like I have been." She smiled and hugged me. I winced when she did, but I smiled at her. Then I realized I was five inches taller than my Mother. _When did that happen?_  I thought to myself.

 

\------------- 

 

       After dinner, I helped Mother clean up and then went back toward where I knew Liam would be practicing his fencing. But when I got to the fencing arena, he was arguing with his father. I felt bad for eavesdropping, but I couldn't help myself. 

        "I don't care why Father! I am not marrying some woman whom I have never met!"

         "You will meet her Liam! She will be here for the Ball and you shall dance at least two dances with her. I will order you to as King if I must! Good day to you!" The King left then and Liam started chopping up dummies left and right.

      I leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor, feeling my heart shatter into a million tiny pieces. _He's going to meet his betrothed....no..._ For in that moment, I realized I had fallen in love with my best friend. 


	2. Arrival

 

        The next month was agony for me. I couldn't look at Liam without feeling my heart break again. I threw myself into my training more so than I had in the seven years I had been training. I learned fifteen spells, seven rituals, and had the warlock history down like the back of my hand. I didn't like being away from him, but I knew that soon he would be marrying a princess from another land and I would be lucky to see him alone ever again. 

      "Star, what are you asking?" "Send me to another realm. I can't stay here Master Micheal. I can't. I can't stand seeing Liam knowing he will soon be married to that....that....princess-" I said the word with distaste-"and I will lose my best friend forever. I can't stand it," Micheal looked at me, his eyes boring into mine.

 

       "You're in love with him. I can see it now. I knew that the kingdom wanted you two to get married, but they are the people. They see the perfect couple, but not the couple that will insure that the kingdom will survive. I will let you go travelling, Star, but after the Ball. I know that is when he will meet the princess, but I think everyone will wonder why the Crowned Prince's best friend is missing from the Ball. After that, we will discuss where I can send you. I am thinking some time in Darnassus with the Night Elves will do you some good. Get in touch with some nature magic. It will help you. I have a friend there. I shall send her a note. Now go Star. I think you can use a week of having some time to yourself." I nodded and went to leave, but he stopped me. "And I don't want you to be practicing any new spells or rituals. You can continue your daily maze runs, but nothing else besides. You'll Corrupt yourself if you continue down this path." I nodded and left.

    (As a warlock, one of my spells is Corruption, which is not only a powerful spell, but also a very dark spell. Every day a warlock has the possibility to be Corrupted, and if they do, they become evil. My Master was barring me from learning any new spells for when a warlock is in a state of emotional stress, they can start down the path toward Corruption.)

    I was so busy thinking about the idea of going to Darnassus, I didn't see Liam until I had bowled right into him. I fell down and looked over at him. I started to get up, but his hand snapped out and pulled me back down next to him. 

    "Star....please...Don't do this. Why are you avoiding me? What did I do?" I brought my knees to my chest, wrapped my arms around them and laid my head on my knees. "You didn't do anything, Liam. I....I overheard you and your Father talking about the princess you will be marrying. I heard that and..." I trailed off as tears leaked out of the corner of my eyes. I felt him staring at me, so I took a deep breath and raised my head to look at him. "I realized I love you Prince Liam Greymane of Gilneas. I love you, and have for a long time." 

       "But now you are going to be married to another. And I can't stand to see it. After the Ball, I will be going to Darnassus to train under the Night Elves. I will come back for the wedding, but I won't be back for long. I know you have to do this, but I can't--" I started sobbing right then, feeling my body shake and tremble. I didn't expect Liam to suddenly to pull me into his arms and hold me close. He let me cry and cry, while he gently rubbed my back.

    "Star, Star, please stop crying for a second. Please, look at me," I raised my head and wiped my tears away. I looked at him and suddenly he was kissing me. I felt his mouth on mine and soon I was lost in the kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he pulled me as close as he could. I had been kissed before, but this was....this was heaven. I couldn't remember why I was sad...this was Liam. My best friend...my Prince...I felt his tongue graze my mouth and my lips parted. Liam's tongue and mine tangled together and I heard a low moan from him. 

    I didn't know if seconds or days passed and I didn't care. I knew from Liam's kiss he loved me too. When we parted, I leaned against his chest and heard his heart pounding in his chest. I was breathing heavily, as though I had ran through my maze. But our moment couldn't last forever. Liam helped stand me up and kissed my cheek, his lips lingering there for a second longer than normal. 

    "I know that kissing you has probably just made this worse for you, but I had to. Even if it was the only time I would ever get to kiss you, I had to kiss you. I love you Starthyst. I have always loved you and I was hoping I could talk my parents into letting me marry you. But tradition won out before I could do anything. You are of marrying age, but Royale marrying age is apparently 25, with courting starting at 22." He hung his head in sadness. "I thought I could marry my best friend. I was hoping...so hoping...but I can't marry you Star." I felt my heart shatter again and leaned against the wall, clutching my chest in physical agony. "The only hope I have now is that she will be barren and that I will have to take on a lover to have an heir. But you are worth so much more than that to me, Star. I wish you could be my Queen, until the day we pass from this life to the next." He pulled out a silver necklace, with a Shadowgem hanging from it, in the shape of wings. I gasped at the sight. "I know in warlock tradition the man gives this to his love at the start of their courting and she wears it for the rest of time, unless he is killed in conbat, in which she has it changed to a heart. I want you to have this, Star. I want you to remember that I love you, and always will." I felt tears of bittersweet run down my face but I nodded in consent. Liam clipped it around my neck, placing a small kiss on the back of my neck. I let my hair fall down and cover my neck. 

           
   I knew that at some point someone would see my necklace and it wasn't as though the warlock tradition was a secret and ask me who the lucky man was. But I didn't care. I'd tell them that it was my father's, who was a warlock. The reason that the necklace was made of Shadowgem was because they helped keep Corruption from taking over. Liam giving this to me was a great announcement that he'd rather marry me than his betrothed. I wasn't sure how I felt about that, but I knew that eventually I would have to suck it up and meet the Princess.

      
     Two days after Liam gave me my necklace, Queen Hawkeye, her niece and daughters arrived in Gilneas. I was standing there with my Mother, Liam and the King and Queen. I was in my best robe of royal purple, sunset gold, ocean blue and night black trim, with my Fire and Ice staff across my back. Liam was wearing a royal blue tunic with dark riding trousers that I had never seen before, with his rarely crown on his head. It had the look of brass, with leaves and branches of the forest soldered onto it. He had his sword across his back, but I knew he had a dagger hidden under his tunic. The Royale Guard lined the dock, and the people were respecting the lines being held by the Guard. Liam looked over at me and gave me a grim smile. I stared back without moving. I did not want this princess to come and marry my Prince. 

    Suddenly, there was a shout from the Harbor Tower. "Your Majesty! The ship has just come over the horizon! It'll be here soon!" Liam snapped to attention and went to inspect the Guard. I waited and he gestured for me to accompany him. As we went down the line, Liam spoke to me under his breath. "I am sorry about this, Star. I wish I could change it. But we will not be technically betrothed until the Ball. That gives us three weeks. Why can we not make the best of it?" I smiled and nodded. "I'd love that Liam." He smiled and we returned to the dock, just as the ship reached port. An anchoring line came from the front of the ship and some men secured the ship. Liam reached out and squeezed my hand before rejoining his parents. I moved back with my Mother, where she slipped a glass vial in my hand. 

      "This is from Micheal. He said it was a calming potion so you won't kill the princess when she steps off the ship. I'd drink it now if I were you. He also said it would last twelve hours." In one fluid motion, I flicked the cork out of the vial, drank it and tossed the vial into the ocean. 

     The effects were instant. My heart stopped racing, my palms stopped sweating and I breathed normally. The gang plank came from the ship and thudded onto the dock. A darkly dressed figure strutted down the plank, stopping at the bottom, pulling a scroll of parchment from his sleeve. I raised a dark eyebrow at the sight. _What is this Queen Hawkeye hoping to do? Impress the people? They have seen many different royal acts and rituals. They would be better off not doing any of this formal stuff._

     "Allow me to introduce to the Kingdom of Gilneas, Her Royale Majesty Queen Hawkeye of Northrend, and her daughters, Princess Veronica of  Valance Keep and Princess Chantel of Valguarde!" The Queen stepped lightly down the plank, and I heard the clank of armor as the Guard snapped into attention. Her hair was black as a raven's feathers, straight and long. She was proud and tall, her dress a vibrant purple, with a black cape clasped at her neck, lined with stark white fur. The crown on her head was of silver, adorned with sapphires and emeralds. Around her neck hung a diamond the size of a walnut, and I saw a small knife at her waist. 

   Behind her, her two daughters walked, hand-in-hand. One had a wolfish face, with great red curls on her head. Her eyes were a startling green. She wore a simple black dress, with purple trim, a purple cape and her tiara was gold with amethysts.  The other was slightly taller than her sister, with brown hair with blonde highlights. Her eyes were like mine, an icy blue. She wore a red dress that when she moved looked like water flowing over the dock. Her arms were bare, but she had silver bracelets that went _ding_  every time she moved. Her tiara was silver with a light blue aquamarine stone in the very center. 

    When they got to King Genn and Queen Mia, they all bowed to each other. I watched Liam, knowing that his betrothed was next. He stood with an unreadable expression on his face. I reached over and took Mother's hand. 

    Then the King spoke. "Well met Your Majesty Hawkeye. I welcome you, your daughters, your niece and your men to Gilneas. We have been waiting for this day for a long time. I hope you find everything to your liking," The Queen looked around, she eyes catching everything she saw. _She was a hunter!_  I suddenly thought. I could sense the taming ability in her blood. She knew how to handle wild animals. That's why she could handle a kingdom, or in this case queendom, all on her own. Queen Hawkeye said, "Thank you for having us, Your Majesty Genn. My daughters, niece, my people and I have been looking forward to the day in which we can make our alliance not only forged in paper and ink, but in blood as well." Her dark eyes glittered in the sunset. Princess Veronica and Princess Chantel both smiled and bowed again. The King then turned and reached out a hand toward Liam. 

    "And may I introduce my son, Prince Liam of Gilneas?" The Queen moved forward and reached out a hand. Liam took it and kissed it, as was he was supposed to. "Your Majesty, welcome to my homeland. I thank you for honoring us with your presence to not only here, but to our Fall Equinox Ball. And also for bestowing upon me the honor of marrying your niece." Had I not been sedated, I knew my heart would have been racing. As it was, I felt Mother clench my hand harder, as if I was going to run onto the ship and unleash all my warlock powers into her. But I stayed put. The Queen nodded and smiled. 

     The Liam did something rather unexpected. "Starthyst, would you join me up here please?" There was a moment of silence before I moved to join my best friend. When I reached him, I bowed to the Queen, and said the warlocks' greeting. 

    "Welcome, Queen Hawkeye, to the land of my fathers and mothers. May Thy feet e'er guide Thee to safety and rest, Thy hands be kind and gentle, but strong when needed, and Thy beauty n'er die. Blessed Be, in the name of Warlock in Gilneas, and where e'er her powers reach. If Thee shalt find problems in this land, say unto them 'Halt! For I am not but a queen, but I have been blessed by the warlock Starthyst of Gilneas!'"  

    Lightning cracked through the sky as my greeting came to a close. The dock was silent as a grave. What I had done was make it as though I was the Queen's personal warlock, without binding myself to her. She looked at me in shock, then smiled. "Blessed Be, Starthyst," 


	3. Princess Amyfire

Liam smiled at me as the Queen reached into her waist-bag and pulled out a necklace. "This is for you, Warlock Starthyst. I had it forged for any warlock of this land who treated me and my family with kindness. And you showed me a kindness that none have before." She handed me the necklace, which was a black ribbon, with a brass hawk charm. "It has been blessed by the monks of my land. They tell me it will help in keeping Corruption at bay," "Thank you, Your Majesty," I said and bowed again. Liam put a hand on my shoulder.  
  
   "Queen Hawkeye, Starthyst is my best friend and I ask that she be apart of the bride's wedding party. I can't imagine my life without her being present, let alone her not be apart of my own wedding." The Queen looked momentarily stunned, but she recovered quickly. "It would be an honor for her to be apart of my niece's wedding. And speaking of my niece..."   
  
    "Introducing Princess Amyfire of Northrend, the soon betrothed bride of Prince Liam Greymane of Gilneas!" I was grateful for the potion Micheal had given Mother, for at those words, I felt a stab of hurt and anger spear through my body. But I didn't change face, nor did I run at her and attempt to hurt her.   
  
    It was very obvious that this was the betrothed princess, for she was adorned much more prettily than her cousins. Her dress was ocean blue, with waves stitched around the hemline. It was strapless like Princess Chantel's, but the bust was covered in diamonds. Her arms had detached sleeves, with pearls weaving up with a spiral pattern. Her dark hair was up, held in place with pearls and diamonds. Around her neck was a dark blue ribbon, with a silver wolf charm. _She's wearing the Greymane family symbol!_  I chocked back a gasp. She wasn't supposed to wear the family symbol until it was given to her by Liam! Liam's eyes got wide and I felt him start against me. As she walked closer to us, I saw hazel eyes looking at Liam, and I saw an emotion I recognized well: lust. Her tiara was brass, set with rubies. It looked a lot like Liam's, with small leaves designed into it.   
  
  
     Princess Amyfire walked toward her aunt, stopping long enough to bow to King Genn and Queen Mia, then continued toward Liam, Queen Hawkeye and I. I glanced at her cousins out of the corner of my eye. The two of them had expressions that I couldn't place. When she reached us, Liam bowed over her hand and kissed it, while I bowed. _I may have given your aunt the Warlock's Greeting, but I will not give it to you._  I snarled at her in my head. Queen Hawkeye smiled and took Amyfire's hand. "This is my niece, Amyfire. When her father and mother died and I was made Queen in their place, I promised the people that they would get the queen they were promised when she became of marrying age. But the Accords are very strict: Now that I am Queen, I must pass my throne to one of my children. But I know that here, she will be loved and treated with the love and respect she deserves." I felt Queen Hawkeye's mood shift at those words. I knew she was saying those words to be kind in the face of the people. She didn't like her niece. _Hm...._    
  
  
      Later, Queen Hawkeye, Princess Chantel, Princess Veronica and I were having tea. I found out that Chantel and Veronica were Twins, even though Veronica was born a few days after Chantel. Hawkeye was a bad ass huntress, and her life goal had been to be the best huntress in the world, before she was called to the throne. I poured 4 cups of mint tea and sat down. After the docking ceremony, I had shown the three of them where they would be staying. Princess Amyfire was staying in the tower where she and Liam would be living after they got married. I looked over at Hawkeye and said, "Hawkeye, tell my about your niece. Is she worthy of marrying my best friend?" The three of them nearly chocked on their tea. Veronica actually spat hers out. I looked at them and raised an eyebrow. Chantel cleared her throat and said, "Well, my cousin is very mean, and um....she isn't very nice and....she um...." "Oh Chantel quit trying to be nice, we all know she's a stark raving bitch." Hawkeye snarled. Veronica looked at her mother in shock.   
  
   "Mother!" She gasped. But her sister was nodding in agreement. I looked at Hawkeye and waited for an explanation.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hai! 
> 
> So the queen and the princess are based off of actual I know in real life and I call the friend I based Hawkeye off one "Queen Mama Duck" to this day xD


	4. Chapter 4

"When Amyfire was born, her father, my brother, and sister-in-law were extremely happy, for they were seemingly unable to have a child. But instead of Lukas taking on a lover, he and Luna decided to keep trying. By the time Amyfire was born, they celebrated. I was on a great hunting expedition when I got the letter that they were having a child. I dropped everything and went back home. I was there when she was born and stayed seven months after she was born. But the call of the wild still sang to me. I told Lukas I was sorry, but I needed to go back to the hunt. He understood and let me go. I visited off and on for nine years, and over those years I saw my niece go from being a cute little girl, to a spoiled princess. Then, not long after she turned nine, her parents, my brother and lovely sister-in-law, were killed in a ship wreak. All hands down. I was called back to the castle and was crowned Queen. For a few years I tried to get my niece to change she was, but the damage had been done. She wouldn't listen to anything I said and when I tried to discipline her, she would revel her most horrifying secret- Starthyst, she can turn into a Worgen."   
  
    I gasped. Worgens were the kingdom's terror. They were humans who had been bitten by these creatures and became half-human, half-wolf. For awhile, they moved around in great wild packs and killed many in their path. About twenty years ago they created a serum that would allow those bitten to be able to keep their mind and was able to turn back into human form and Worgen form. But they couldn't control when they became their Worgen form. When they got emotionally unstable (like say angry) they would turn into their Worgen form and could have the potential to kill their loved ones. Once they calmed down, they would go back to their human form.   
  
     "When I tried to make it known that she couldn't have her way, she would turn into a Worgen and threaten my children. My story with Veronica and Chantel is that I also had trouble having a child. I didn't get married, but I had a Council approved lover. Basically he was my husband, minus the vows. When I got pregnant, I was given many many potions to ensure the baby's health. What we didn't expect was that I would have twins. Nor did we expect was that I would have sisters who would look not only different from me, but from each other. As you can see, Chantel is brown haired with blonde highlights and blue eyes, while Veronica is red haired with green eyes. The only thing the monks can figure is that they amount of potions I drank to make sure that my children would live drastically changes how they looked. But I don't mind that; I love them anyways." Her daughters smiled at her and she returned it.   
  
   "My daughters know their father, and he is a Lord of the Court. He loves the girls very dearly. But he did not want to become Prince of Northrend. I was fine with that, and he and I are good friends today. My niece, however, has grown up getting her own way. I wanted to have Liam marry Veronica instead of Amyfire, but Lukas and Genn had already had arrangements for him to marry Amyfire. I am sorry he is going to be married to her. He deserves better." "And I am going to apologize for what I am about to tell you: I am in love with Liam and he is in love with me." Hawkeye nodded. "I could see that there was more between you than just being friends. I would rather you were the one marrying him because then it would be of happiness and choice, rather than tradition and purposes of making sure the alliance won't be ignored." I nodded in understanding. "I promise you that I will keep Liam safe." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter, more to come~


	5. Chapter 5

That night, Mother and the rest of the Ladies-in-Waiting went with ten members of the Royale Guard to go collect items needed for the Fall Feast. "Be good Star. Don't forget to take the potion when you need it. I'll be back in two weeks." She hugged me and got on her horse. I waved goodbye and watched as they went off into the night. Why they were leaving on a moonless night was beyond me but I wasn't in charge. 

Once they had left, I went back into the castle. When my Mother had to go on business of state with the Queen, I would stay in the castle with the King and Liam. Even now, after not staying with them for three years, my room was still set up and waiting for me to come back. I changed into my sleeping robes and slipped between the covers, feeling their softness surround me. I rolled over onto my side and looked out the window. The stars were so bright I could see inside my room easily.

As I started to fall asleep, I heard the door open. I was instantly alert and sat up. I raised my hand to cast a binding spell, when they spoke. "Star, it's me." I sighed in relief. "Liam, you nearly scared me to death." I rolled back over and pulled the blankets up around me. "You can join me if you want," I said, remembering when we were small we'd sleep in the same bed when I stayed over. I heard him walk over and felt the bed shift when he sat down. The covers moved away for a second then came back as he joined me. Then I realized that this was a bad idea. I felt my wanting, longing, love and lust rise in me and I was having trouble keeping it down. 

"Star..." I heard him whisper my name and I gave into my feelings. I rolled over and into his arms, feeling his mouth meet mine. He kissed me differently than he did in the hall. After a bit, he left my mouth and kissed his way down my jaw to my neck. When he got there, he left tiny love bites, bringing a moan escaping from me. I heard a low chuckle from him and I felt his tongue gently lick where he bit me, sending goosebumps over my skin. He suddenly rolled over on top of me, pinning me under him. "Liam..." I sighed his name and he came back to my mouth. He kissed me over and over again, and soon my night was fiery hot.

 

The sun rising at dawn woke me, and I felt Liam's arms around me still. I snuggled into him more and he pulled me closer. His warmth stayed the cold of the morning. I reached out and touched his bare chest, seeing the Greymane tattoo above his heart. I felt his heart beating under my hand. "Won't they find it scandalous that you stayed in my room last night? I mean, we didn't do anything, but they won't know that." He chuckled, shaking his head. "It is kind of expected that the weeks leading us to a betrothal, the Crowned Prince doesn't behave." He winked at me and kissed me again. Giggling, I kissed him back, feeling his strong arms around me. 

Later, after getting myself scrubbed clean, I was in my black robes with purple trim and was headed down to where Hawkeye and her daughters were staying. As I drew closer, I could hear arguing. 

"I don't care! He is my betrothed, not that...that....necromancer's! So, I demand that she be banished from the castle until after the wedding!" I felt a flash of anger and started forward, but heard Queen Hawkeye say, "You are not in charge of this castle, nor Prince Liam. If he wants to stay with Starthyst, he can and he shall. I will not be bullied into anything, Your Highness, nor will I do something that would get Prince Liam to go back on this! Starthyst has been his best friend long before you two were betrothed! Now go back to the Tower and stay there!" I heard a slight growling sound, then the ripping of clothes, as though someone had abruptly grown to big for them. She's changed! 

I ran down the hall, and into Hawkeye's room. She was standing there with her dagger raised, while her daughters cowered on the corner. I brought my hand forward, shouting, "Soul Sleep!" The spell hit Amyfire square in the back and she fell, sound asleep. She went back to her human form, but I wasn't going to let her hurt anyone. I pulled out a strong sedative and forced it down her throat. "This will keep her from transforming for the next couple of days. My spell has knocked her out for the time being, but she will wake up again soon. She won't remember what has happened this morning. We need to take her back to the Tower and put her to bed, so when she wakes up she'll think she just slept longer than normal." I stood up and snapped my fingers. Amyfire began floating, which I knew would cause a riot in the castle. I moved to the wall and pressed a brick in. A section of the wall suddenly moved, reveling a passageway. I directed Hawkeye and her daughters inside and followed, Amyfire floating along behind me. 

Inside the passageway, I pulled a lever and the wall slid back into place, plunging it into darkness. The princesses each let out a little squeak, but soon I had found a torch. "Hell Fire!" I said and the torch lit up. I moved in front of our little group and soon was moving through the tunnel. "When Liam and I were younger, we discovered the long forgotten secret passageways through the castle. We spent months exploring them, making maps and making signs for where each tunnel lead. Some to lead to multiple places, so we labeled them after the area of the castle they were in, then got more specific as we got closer to where we were actually going." I still remembered my way to the Tower, so I lead the way. 

Ten minutes later, I was pulling a lever to open the door into the bedroom of where Amyfire was sleeping. Putting the torch out, I moved her to the bed, which had not been made yet. I set her down and covered her with blankets. The four of us quietly moved out of the room and out into the hall. "She will sleep for an hour or so more and then she'll wake up." 

Hawkeye and her daughters followed me out of the room. Chantel quietly shut the door. We walked back down stairs to the parlor and sat down. One of the maids came over to me and looked at me. "Tea Maria, with sugar, cream and West Indies Goods." She raised an eye brow at me, but left to go to get what I had asked for anyways. Veronica pulled out a book and began to read, Hawkeye slid her dagger from its sheath and started polishing it, while Chantel pulled out a wooden flute and began to play a soft song. I recognized the familiar Northrend tones, which reminded me of my father. I smiled sadly and pulled out my athame. I moved to the center of the room and raised it high, and spoke in the language of demons. 

"Xi me klak mo salmn, macih Moltar, Li Ka!" I was banishing from this place any demonic beings. My athame turned blood red and I felt dark, evil things go by me as they went flying from the castle. When they were all gone, my athame went back to its normal color and I sat back down. The other three didn't say anything, and Chantel kept playing her flute. Maria came back with the tea, set it down and walked away. 

I poured each one of us a cup and poured some of the West Indies Goods into each cup. "To Queen Hawkeye, Princess Veronica and Princess Chantel and the treaty of Northrend and Gilneas!" I raised my glass in their air and drank my cup. The others drank theirs and discovered what West Indies Goods was. "Rum! It's rum!" Chantel said, smiling. I nodded and looked at Hawkeye. She was pouring herself another cup. "It's going to be a long day. All of the bride's wedding party is getting fitted for their dresses today. Star, I know I promised you could be in Amyfire's wedding party, but I do not want you to have to put up with her if you don't want." I thought about it a moment. "Let me speak to Liam about the request. I know that there is apart of the wedding where if so chose, the family warlock can bestow a blessing upon the couple. That may work better. I wouldn't be in your niece's company much then." She nodded and drank her cup. Veronica and Chantel drank more too. 

 

I noticed the time just then. "Oh! Excuse me ladies, but I am late!" I got up and ran rather unladylike through the castle. I was within the hour of when I needed to perform a protection spell around the castle. I ran outside, and headed North. When I got to the North side of the castle, I drew my athame again and carved a pentagram into the ground. After that, I brought forth five candles, each the color of the element they represent. Yellow for Air, Blue for Water, Brown for Earth, and Crimson for Fire. The White and Purple one was for Purity of Spirit. I set the candles in their places, and stepped inside the star. I felt the magic in my blood ignite and I took a deep breath. 

"I call upon the elements, Sun, Moon and Mother Earth this Morning, to help me with this spell. Protect those inside the castle and in this kingdom, and her guests. May they not face danger, or hate from their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, or family. May they feel love where e'er they roam. I ask Mother Earth to let crops grow and take root, so we may eat, drink and be merry. I ask the Sun for Light to shine, to give those who need him most. I ask the Moon to give those of the Night reason to shine. 

"I ask you now, to keep those who will be visiting the castle these next weeks to not meet any who mean them harm, and may this spell keep those who mean us harm out. I ask this, so mote it be."

I felt the magic I had been building suddenly go out from me, reaching to the far corners of Gilneas. I smiled, having done my ritual successfully. Micheal had asked me to do it, for he had been called away for business of State. I picked up my candles, stomping out the pentagram in the process. That's when I felt just how drained I was. I gasped as the ground seem to buckle beneath me. I leaned against the wall, hoping it would pass. 

When it didn't, I sat down. That was a mistake, for everything moved more. I brought out a piece of paper and quickly wrote 'Liam help. North of castle.' Whispering a small spell, the paper turned into a crane and went flying away. I manged to get back to my feet, but the edges of my vision started to go gray. No...I'm not going to....pass......out...... I felt the ground buckle and my world went black. 

 

I awoke in my room in the castle, a cool rag on my forehead. As my vision cleared up, I saw the King, both Queens, Liam, Veronica and Chantel. Liam was sitting on my bed, holding my hand. He saw that I was awake. "Star! You're awake!" Everyone in my room came over, each with a look of relief on their faces. Liam smiled and squeezed my hand. "I got your note. I made it just in time to see you fall. I rushed over and brought you here. Priestess Kidate checked you over, and said you were fine, you had just exerted too much magic at one time." I nodded in understanding. Soon, everyone had left my room, except for Liam. I was sitting up and was drinking some warmth broth, with his help. "How..how long was I out?" Liam seemed hesitant, but answered. "Three days," My eyes widened. How...how much magic did I actually use in that ritual? Liam leaned in and kissed my check. 

"I was so worried...I didn't know what happened. All I knew was you were there...out cold...." I reached over and touched his cheek. There was stubble, prickly but it gave Liam's face a ragged look, one I hadn't seen in a couple of years. Liam leaned into my hand, turning his head to kiss my wrist, sending goosebumps up my spine. I drank more of my broth and settled back into the pillows. "I think I should sleep...I'm really tired." He nodded, standing up and covering me with my blanket. 

 

The next day I made myself get up out bed. I couldn't lay there, knowing every second I was gone, that princess could get her claws into my Liam. I walked with my hand along the wall, managing to not fall over when I was hit with a dizzy spell. I walked to my house, and stumbled into the kitchen. I reached up to the cupboards and pulled out a glass vial, filled with emerald green liquid, sparkling with stars and diamonds. I popped the cork off and drank it, letting the effects take over. In a few minutes, the world stopped spinning and I was able to walk like a normal person. I ran back to my room and put my staff into my over the shoulder carrying case. I picked up my athame and its sheath, sliding it onto my belt. I walked over to my wardrobe and pulled out my purple and yellow robes, snagging a plain purple shirt and black breeches at the same time. I pulled my shirt, breeches and robe on, belting my athame around my waist and my staff to my back. I pulled on my boots, leaving the room quickly. As I rounded a corner, I collided with a body. When we both got up, I noticed it was Amyfire. I felt an instant stab of red-hot dislike. 

"Watch where you're going necromancer! I am on my way to see about Prince Liam's outfit for the Ball, which must match mine or we will not be perfect for my day! That Ball is the day I get what I have always deserved, you know." She snarled, a smug look on her face. I cracked my neck, saying, "No, actually, I didn't know that worgen." Her face suddenly changed. "H-h-how?" She stuttered. I knew I had gotten to her. I put my face close to hers, whispering, "How do I know? I know because I am a warlock; dark creatures are my area of expertise and you, Amyfire, are a dark creature. What do you think the people would think if their Prince's betrothed was in fact a cursed Worgen? They would be very upset. And I'd hate to see the people upset," 

Suddenly, I was pinned to the wall by my throat. I gasped for air, grabbing at my athame. She leaned in close, her eyes wolf-like. "Now listen here, warlock, I don't care that you know. You are nothing. You are nothing in this land, and you would be under constant watch in mine." I brought my athame slicing through the air, cutting the front of her robes. Amyfire dropped me in surprise. She looked at her front, and glared at me. "This was my best every day outfit. And now you have ruined it!" I rolled out of her reach and stood back up. I still had my athame in hand and I raised it. She stepped back, already knowing the sting of my athame. "I don't care. You don't deserve Liam. You don't deserve anything!" She lunged at me, but I had already activated the lever to open the secret door behind me and disappeared into the wall. I heard her hit the wall and let out a yelp. I smiled and walked away.


End file.
